Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Sylvania News: Whitney-Bradley heads to France on Fulbright teacher exchange

Photos and story by James Hill

Stephanie Whitney-Bradley, world languages and French instructor, is the recipient of a Fulbright Teacher Exchange award and will be spending the next academic year teaching in Montpelier, France. In return, her French counterpart, still to be announced, will be teaching at Sylvania and add their cultural perspective to the campus.

Cohen helps deliver textbooks to Uganda

Andrew Cohen, composition and literature instructor, spearheaded efforts this spring to collect used textbooks from PCC faculty, staff and students and to donate them to schools in Uganda. The country is among the 24 poorest countries in the world and more than half of its population is under 15. Cohen’s efforts were part of a larger project of the Beaverton Rotary Club that collects and ships containers of used text books to universities in Uganda each year.

Fong wins volunteer of the year award

Biology Instructor April Fong was named a Southwest Neighborhoods Associations Volunteer of the Year. For more than two years Fong has worked with the PCC Habitat Restoration Team turning the former Vermilyea property at 53rd and Capitol Highway into Sylvania Natural Area Park. She uses the park as for her class and volunteer opportunities for students. During 2006-07, she coordinated the efforts of 168 volunteers who performed over 1,300 hours of work in the park, including planting about 1,600 plants.

She has helped remove invasive plants and carefully replanted native species. Special attention has been given to the creek and watershed which runs through the park in an effort to slow the flow and prevent erosion along the banks. Fong has received grants in the past which funded purchase of native plants and seeds, and has applied for grants to fund a permeable path through he park, to purchase additional plants and to provide education materials which will used for both a SUN program with Markham and Jackson School students, and also to further educate neighbors and others interested in the Sylvania Natural Area Park.

Saito joins board of Oregon Health Career Center

John Saito, dean of the Health Professions, Early Childhood Education and Physical Sciences Division, is the new member of the board of the Oregon Health Career Center. Saito was nominated for the position by Office of Community College and Workforce Development (CCWD). CCWD is a sponsoring member of the career center and has supported its work and vision. Saito was nominated because, “he is a great community college advocate, is very knowledgeable and is respected by his peers and by faculty.”